[ME 2ACZ]
CONFIDENTIAL
Dr Wilson
Private Secretary
HONG KONG: A CHANGE OF DES TINY
FROM: A C Galsworthy
DATE:
31 July 1985
Cc: PS/Mr Luce
PS/PUS
Sir W Harding
Mr Elliot, FED
Mr Walker,
Research
1.
I submit a despatch from the Governor of Hong Kong
giving a Hong Kong perspective on the negotiations leading
up to the Joint Declaration and the Governor's view of the
next 12 years.
2.
In the despatch the Governor briefly outlines the
history of Hong Kong and emphasises Britain's moral
repsonsibility to the territory which was shouldered on
our re turn to Hong Kong in 1945.
3.
The Governor then gives a brief account of the
negotiations as seen from Hong Kong. He argues that we
were right to press for British administration in the
early stages of negotiation, until forced to move by
September crisis. He pays
of the
confidentiality
Unofficials
in
an d
yet
the
tribute to the difficult role
the negotiations, tied
responsible to the people
by
of
Hong Kong.
The
Governor
detail contained
in Annex 1 to
the fact that the
over the people of Hong Kong to
stresses the importance of the
agreement was legally binding in winning
the Agreement.
the Joint Declaration and